mostly short queer fiction from a tall queer guy

Sunday Shorts – “Girls on Campus” Q&A with MJ Williamz

For those who wondered, husband, husky and I had a great time on our vacation, and if you’re ever wondering if it’s worth finding a way to take your dog on vacation with you, the short answer is yes.

Speaking of short…

I had the pleasure of meeting today’s author at the recent Bold Strokes Books retreat in New York state, and among other things, it turned out we had the same tattoo, which was sort of awesome. MJ Williamz and I managed a quick drive-by Q&A before I left on vacation, and I’m bringing it to you today.

Also, Bold Strokes Books is having a deal right now and if you pick up any e-book this month at all, you can nab MJ’s Summer ’69 e-short for free (the deal runs until the end of October). So if you still haven’t picked up a copy of Girls on Campus; or if you have your appetite whetted for any of MJ’s titles (or any title at all from the Bold Strokes Books e-store), don’t forget to take advantage of the deal.

College: four years when anything goes and rules are made to be broken. A time for freedom, experimentation, and guiltless pleasures. Come join the co-eds for a homecoming bash, crash a girls-only party, and enjoy study hall where the topic is Eros. From roommates with benefits to sexy sorority initiations, hot professors demanding extra credit after class and summer vacation threesomes, this collection is required reading for anyone looking to earn an A in sex-ed.

NB: “Hell Week” takes sorority pledging to a hot place (via a clever ‘cold place’ as it were). I have to admit my own experiences with Frats were anything but sexy (unless you count fellas who were only queer when tequila was involved). You put Dawn and Sharon in a non-queer (and likely non-queer-friendly) sorority—how purposeful was that?

MJW: It was very purposeful. I wanted the reader to understand just how chancey it was for the girls to get together in that environment. It was more than just keeping quiet not to disturb anyone. It was a matter of keeping quiet not to get kicked out.

NB: As well as being hidden from their fellow pledges from not being out, you also tucked them in sleeping bags in a group setting. Was it difficult to write that teasing ‘keep it down or we might get caught’ tone?

MJW: Actually, it was a lot of fun writing that tone. I really enjoyed the whole secrecy involved in the scene.

NB: I’m always curious to know if short fiction characters have appeared elsewhere, or are going to come by for another visit. Can readers see Dawn and Sharon somewhere else? Or do you have other characters from novels you’ve included in short fiction?

MJW: Dawn and Sharon belong only to “Hell Week.” But, my first Goldie award winner, Initiation by Desire, is about a baby butch who comes out while living in a sorority house. So, that’s essentially where I got the idea for Dawn and Sharon.

NB: Aha! Well, for all of the readers loving “Hell Week” who didn’t already know, now they have a map to their next read. Thank you!

If you’d like to catch a copy of Girls on Campus of your very own, you should head on over to the publisher page at Bold Strokes Books here. Or, check out your local brick-and-mortar store—it’s always a good move to check Indiebound.org here. And, of course, the book is available anywhere quality LGBT books are sold.

MJ Williamz is the author of eight books, including Goldie award winning Initiation by Desire, Escapades, and Summer Passion. She has also had over thirty short stories published, most of them erotica with a few romances and a couple of horrors thrown in for good measure. Her newest book, Love on Liberty is now available in eBook and paperback.